Don't want to be getting ahead of the game here but on their display last night we should have no problem getting past them over two legs in the champions league. Joe Cole is the only big concern for me, really like this guys as a footballer but he seems to be a bit of a cu*t other than that! Biggest fear at the moment is that stevie and carra are both on yellow cards and if they pick up another one in the second leg it would rule them out of the final.
Regardless of how crap they have been playing I would never rule them out especially as they are in the same position as us with only one thing to play for and the second leg at the Bridge which is our bogey ground. If I was being honest if we managed to get 2 up in the first leg I would expect Stevie if not Carra to make sure they get themselves booked because sods law would dictate if they dont they will in the second leg especially with the divers the Chavs have in their team. As for Cole are you having a laugh, he has the gayest stepovers in the game he just looked comical last night everytime he did it. Any proper defender facing someone like that would have just clattered him once and all his fancy crap would have stopped instantly.
Well its pointless getting themselves booked on purpose, if we got through the first game two nil benitez could just leave stevie out of the second leg. Bun i can't see him getting through the first leg without a yellow card anyways, he should have gotten it in the first leg at arsenal cos he did nothing in the second one anyway. Really don't take see much in what your saying about cole, he's been by far their best player all season and he's a real pain in any defences side. Think he's been better this season than he's ever been and has a habbit of scoring against us too.
Have to agree that they were useless last night, can see them all stepping up thier game for next week though.
Dont underestimate how valuable Drogba and Lampard are to that Chelsea team (Take Torres and Gerrard out and we would not look so good) We will have to break them down at Anfield which will prove difficult, unlike Wigan who just defended As for Joe Cole, hurts me to say it but he is a really good player at the moment.
Bit of a downer this, Stevie has been declared a doubt for the 1st leg with a neck injury. Either this is the best of mind games ever played or a bit of a disaster. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/l/liverpool/7356746.stm
think its a bit of mind games. He will be fine. If Jose was in charge I would guess another penalty shootout on the cards.. however I think we can win it in normal time.. although we may need to score at the bridge.
That is just mind game, Did you see rafa when he said that he had a neck injury, Big grin on his face saying " Steven Scored 4 or 5 goals with his head in training and had a sore neck after it" he had too say something so he wouldnt get stick like he did last season for playing a "weakend" team, Stevie G Will be one of the first 2 names on the sheet the other being El Nino
I heard he was fit to play against Fulham but was rested as a precaution. Whatever the truth, Im sure he'll be ready for the chavs.
So what do you reckon the team will be, i'm guessing we'll be back to Benitez's winning formula as long as Gerrard is playing. Reina, Carra, Skrtel, Hyypia, Aurelio, Masch, Alonso, Babel, Kuyt, Gerrard and Torres. It must be awful for teams like chelsea knowing that they're really up against it away at anfield but when they play in stamford bridge it doesn't give them much advantage cos they're fans are brutal. Think we will win tomorrow night (1-0) and get a scored draw in the bridge, hopefully we'll score first in both legs! I wonder who Masch will be keeping quiet, lampard or possibly cole!
Pennant often those well against Ashley Cole, both games at Anfield last season, league and euro, could be an option later on.
Love Rafa's comments about Gerrard being a doubt for the game v's Chelski "The other day, he wanted to play (v's Fulham) but he was only able to look to the right, so I told him he could play as a left winger! We'll see if he can turn his head round and look the other way now"
I think I'd prefer to see Pennant start with Babel coming off the bench with 20 mins left. He always seems to make a bigger impact as a sub. And hopefully the goal at the wkend will give Pennant a confidence boost.
I just hope he goes back to the Valencia formation he has been using for the last few months. The stick Crouch on and go 4-4-2 was a gable last time that nearly backfired best stick with whats working and try and get a few goals up, clean sheet as always, paramount at this stage at home. Im just bricking it with Stevie on a yellow that he could miss the final as I cant see him not getting booked over the 2 legs.
Can Pennant play on the left wing? I agree about Babel being a better impact sub alright but he's our best option on the left at the moment. Can't see the chelsea players getting tired the way ther gunners did anyway so Babel probably couldn't have the same effect tomorrow!